Before Time Began to Flow
by XD-385
Summary: Out of sight and out of mind, a dark figure contemplates the past and the impending future. Side story and minor prequel to The Lost Element
1. Purge

Where did the world begin? When did the cogs of time begin to turn? I have no way of knowing, even as I was there at the very beginning. When was the moment I gained a sense of being? How long had life existed before I became aware of the world? Regardless of my origins and what I was before, my memories still trace back to the very moment where I became aware. And it was then that I could comprehend what I was seeing. A world of shadows and demons without a single glimmer of light. Feral beasts of utter savagery that preyed upon each other. A bleak and blighted world locked in limbo.

My eyes were well adjusted for the perpetual darkness that engulfed the world. And to those who reside in the modern world of today, they would be haunted by what I witnessed. There was no warmth. No glimmers of light. No intelligence anywhere. The only other life aside from myself were foul feral beasts of countless sizes and shapes. Some small, some larger, some gargantuan. And yet, I felt no fear for these many beasts no matter where I wandered. And where they would prey on each other, they would constantly mind their distance from me. As if they could sense something about me that made me a greater threat than they were.

Having little knowledge of the world and even myself, I did what any nameless vagabond would have done. I wandered. I felt no sense of danger from the many beasts that plagued the world. They always kept their distance, as if they feared me. I know not how many years or even centuries passed while I wandered from one corner of the world to the next. The concept of time had not yet come to be. There was no means to track the passing of the years. Time was more or less at a standstill, thus this era with no beginning or end came to be known as the Era Before Time Began to Flow.

While I wandered this world without a name, I became slowly more and more aware of a nameless ability within me that I only first demonstrated when I was ambushed by a famished beast of the shadows that was apparently desperate enough to hunt a being out of its league. In defense, I thrust my arm out towards it only for a wave of blackness to be launched from my hand and blow the beast away. The hapless hunter fled, leaving me perplexed as to what I had done. The longer I experimented with this ability, the more I grew to grasp it. In time, this latent ability would come to be called "magic".

My magic was tied to forces of sheer blackness. Able to condense the shadows into solid mass of great density. Once perfected enough, I used it to craft armor for my body to shield myself from further attack. As I became more in tune with the magic I possessed, it was only then that I began to comprehend why all but the most desperate of beasts wanted nothing to do with me. I possessed power far beyond anything that they contained within their beastly forms. They could sense it. And as I began to master the magic within me, I became more aware of a certain...presence that filled the world. Something that was everywhere I looked. Within the earth I tread as well as the air itself. The darkness that plagued and shrouded the world. The shadows that corrupted everything in the world but myself. It was...alive.

The more I wandered, the more I became aware of this omnipresent entity. It was everywhere in this world of darkness and I was the only being on the face of the planet who remained free of its influence. Or was it that the reason I was free of its corruption was...because I was simply too powerful to be contained? I had become fully aware of the might that coursed through my body. This magical force of similar dark properties with vast versatility. It was a power unlike any other. But if this corrupting miasma could not claim me, could I control it instead?

I began to wonder what would happen if I could contain this corruption. Corral it and shackle it. What would happen to the world if it became separated from it? For the first time, I felt a sense of ambition take hold. Once more, I wandered. Searching for a means to contain the corruption that plagued the world. In time, I was hunted and attacked by yet another dark beast. Once more, I unleashed the power within my hands upon it. This time, it did not rise again.

The beast's body was consumed by the same miasma that flooded every corner of the world. Perhaps it would contain the formless evils that held the world in limbo. I removed the beast's pelt, tanning it until I had formed a soft hollow pouch worn upon my chest from a thread crafted from the beast's sinew around my neck. And thus, once I stood upon the top of the nearest hill I could find, I wove my magic in an attempt to capture the evils that flooded the world.

With a pull of the pouch's string, it opened. I held my hands out, beckoning to the darkness as I worked the magic within my hands. I could feel and see it. The shadows around me squirmed and writhed. And then...it happened. Almost within the form of a gaseous dark fog, the miasma that plagued the world gravitated towards me and was drawn into the pouch. I feared it would burst, and yet more and more of the miasma flooded into it without the pouch expanding to accommodate its presence. It felt tedious remaining still as every last trace of the vile miasma was drawn into its new prison from every corner of the planet. How much time passed while I stood there? Hours? Days? Years? In time, the last traces of this dark force was drawn into the pouch. I promptly sealed its opening with a pull of the string and only then did I marvel at the world around me now that it had been purged of all forms of evil and corruption.

The world remained dark, yet not twisted. And above me... The deep blue night sky littered with tiny beacons that shed miniscule amounts of light upon the world around me. The world felt as if it had truly come to life. It was not a world fraught with danger, but merely a world beginning to take its first steps.

As I pondered my surroundings, I detected movement. It was likely coming from a number of beasts nearby that I had seen during my approach to the hill. But when they emerged from hiding and beheld me, I could see that they were no longer the hideous vile monstrosities that prowled the world. Their large intelligent eyes conveyed emotions that one would never see in beasts. They showed subtle differences, mainly the colors of their eyes and bodies. I was perplexed, left wondering if these beings were merely the creatures that wandered the world only with all traces of the miasma extracted from their bodies and souls. They approached me and spoke, not knowing who they were or who I was. As if they had only just been born.

They were equine in form... They claimed that they felt comfortable referring to themselves as ponies. And thus the name stuck. They gazed up at me while I towered over them. I felt a sense of power over these tiny creatures as they seemed to come under my care. They were wary of the darkness around them and whatever may lurk out there. They turned to me for guidance. Having allowed the world to come to life, I accepted their pleas for leadership and began to extend my guidance across the globe while keeping the world's old evils securely bound to me at all times. The name I had chosen for myself long ago became of secondary importance to my people as I soon found myself being referred to by a title that would remain long after my fall from power eons into the future.

The Lord of Midnight.


	2. Balance

Much changed in what felt like little time as I swiftly rose to power. I quickly found that ponies were not the only beings in the world who came to know and speak my name, although they were by far the most plentiful. The foul corrupted beasts that plagued the world were no longer present wherever I roamed, instead replaced by countless creatures of varying forms and sizes. Some were harmless while others were fearsome. Some would even seek to feast upon my subjects to varying degrees of success. Steps would need to be taken to insure the survival of my people. And thus, society began to bud across the planet.

Times were simple. Civilization was only in its infancy while my people created humble communities, often taking shelter in caves to hide from predators. I soon found that the ponies were not entirely alike. There were a total of three races of ponies. The simplest of the ponies were the ones that would come to be called earth ponies. They showed impressive strength, able to haul and carry loads that most other races could not hope to lift with the exception of the minotaurs and an innate talent at cultivating the earth itself. Another race of pony were ones that had pairs of wings at their sides that allowed for flight. They would come to be known as pegasi and could manipulate air currents and even the weather itself. Clouds to them were as solid as a feather cushion. The third race of ponies possessed small horns on their heads that possessed magic much like my own, though on a far weaker level. These magic-using ponies came to be known as unicorns. Magic was largely alien to them and I had difficulty explaining its functions. But over time, they would come to grasp their latent abilities better. Furthermore, these ponies would ultimately acquire unique patches or designs upon both flanks with the first being the youngest. These children, apparently out of a form of endearment, would refer to these markings as 'cutie marks'. Even as the adult ponies began to acquire their own in time, the name of cutie mark somehow stuck.

There was one other race that stood out among my people. A race that I came to pity initially as one of the weakest races of them all. Tall in stature and lacking of claws or fangs, they would form large communities in fields to increase their odds of survival. This race of hapless beings came to be known as humans. Inferior in strength to the mighty earth ponies and minotaurs and lacking the capabilities of the pegasi, unicorns, and even griffons, I felt certain that they would not last in this cold bleak world.

Indeed, the world remained cold. With no light, it remained dark and the air cool at best. The world was somehow sustained by traces of some indescribable magical force that flowed through the world, but only barely. My people struggled to sustain themselves as the cool air would stunt the growth of crops, forcing them to rely on bare weeds and other flora that managed to endure the bitter cold for sustenance. I had to do something to make life more sustainable to the world now that they required more than just hunting each other.

There was little I could do to bring light to this world of darkness. My power was steeped in the element of darkness itself, not light. However, I began to ponder if there would be a way to bring warmth to this world. The same warmth one feels when near an open flame. At one time during my travels before my rise to power, I witnessed an impressive sight that left me awestruck. A mountain in the far distance ruptured with liquid fire that glowed a spectacular inviting orange. When I drew near, I found that the glowing liquid was the very molten blood of the planet itself. It radiated both light and soothing heat. Soothing so long as I made no contact with it. In my curiosity, I plunged my hand into the molten earth only to be wracked with searing pain. Upon pulling my arm from the substance that would come to be called 'lava', I found my flesh having be melted away to the bone. But my initial horror was quickly washed away as I witnessed darkness itself ooze forth from my scorched flesh before gaining mass and becoming the arm I had just lost.

Even though I knew I had no need to fear death as I was simply beyond its reach, I knew that my subjects had no such luxury. Even so, the key to being warmth to this world lied just below my hooves. But how was I to draw it out? And how would I keep the warmth exposed to the world?

I journeyed to the mountain that I had witnessed bleed its molten blood with an entourage of my followers. I had come to memorize its location out of a lingering fascination I had held for the mountain after seeing it erupt once. I would venture by it every once in a great while to see if I could catch it in the act again. Even though it still seemed to be a mighty looming mountain against the dark sky, I knew that the heat of its lava lurked within. But the question remained of how I could keep its molten blood constantly exposed. And how would I share it with the world?

As we approached the mountain, I heard something whisper to me. Not truly a voice, but a presence. And it was very near. My subjects never once responded to it, as if my ears were the only ones who detected it. I quickly found that the source of the sound was the sack that hung from my throat. The twisted evils within beckoned to me, although I knew I had nothing to fear from them. But as I listened to its whispering, I contemplated its properties. The miasma I had contained possessed the uncanny ability to twist and corrupt that it consumed. It changes things. And my magic can influence and control it. Perhaps this evil presence could serve me well in some way.

For the safety of my entourage, I ordered them to stand back lest they be consumed and corrupted back into the devilish beasts they had once been. I stepped forward with the mountain looming in the distance. With some hesitation, I pulled upon the string that held the miasma's prison shut. The instant the pouch's mouth opened, the billowing condensed evils within burst forth once more. But rather than immediately expand and consume the world once more, it merely floated above me as it pulsed and sparked with evil power. My followers cowered at the very sight of it, fearing that I had just called forth a demon. But I showed no fear. It would harm no one so long as it was shackled to its prison. So long as its cage hung from my neck, it would never escape.

I began to weave my magic with the miasma swirling around me at my call. My intention was to breathe life into the earth itself so it may share its heat with my world. With my magic mingling with the miasma, it rushed forth and expanded vastly before setting upon the entire mountain miles away like a storm crackling with lightning. And mere moments later, its craggy outer shell was obliterated as something within burst free with a deafening roar that carried for miles. The miasma rushed back to me as I held its prison open for it before it was contained once more. And only then did I behold the monstrosity that towered before us.

A being as colossal as a mountain and completely composed of the earth's molten blood, my entourage and I could already feel the great heat radiating off of the creature as the land around it basked in its warm fiery glow. With arms miles long and glowing aquamarine eyes, the beast glared down at us. My subjects screamed in terror as the beast growled, but it froze the moment I threw up my hand. I declared that I was its master and that it would serve me and my people. And it did. The beast held its ground, almost docile. As fearsome as it seemed, the living mountain of lava seemed largely mindless and even lazy. But it would serve me well in time. As it was now a living creature bound to the earth itself, I felt the need to name it. With it being vital to my world's well-being, it needed a means to be identified. And thus, I named the entity Lavan. Although in time, my people would even give it the title known as The Burning Mountain.

Now that a source of great heat had been established, I needed to find a means to share that warmth with the rest of the world. Many of my people flocked to Lavan to establish communities within his warm glow and even just to witness such a spectacle. He was largely disinterested in the gawkers and merely remained where I had left him. But while those who went to Lavan basked in his warmth, the rest of my world was being chilled in the darkness. And while Lavan was capable of traveling beneath the planet's crust, he could not expose himself to the entire planet at once. And yet, inspiration struck me once more during a howling thunderstorm.

Rain fell across the land as my people took shelter in their huts. Lightning streaked across the sky as thunder rumbled through the dark air. And as I stood there in the downpour, I felt it. Wind. Powerful wind carrying cool air wherever it blew. Wind that could carry heat. I had already tamed the earth. It was time to shackle the sky.

Unleashing the miasma from its prison once more, I weaved my magic through it before it rushed skyward. The clouds that brought forth the rain were drawn right out of the sky and down to me. They condensed and crackled with electric energy as the miasma surged through them with my magic. Once the clouds had condensed together to form a thundercloud that was no larger than a human man, I called the miasma back into its prison and sealed the opening. The cloud before me sparked and glowed before it finally began to unfurl. With two tendrils bearing the appearance of arms, two glowing yellow beacons appeared on what could only be referred to as a head. They pulsed with electric energy, its face remaining entirely featureless. A type of cloud apparition.

Once more, I spoke of its purpose and myself as its master. My newest minion would serve my world by circulating Lavan's warmth throughout the world by manipulating the planet's air currents. Although I did find myself mildly surprised to find that unlike the largely mindless Lavan, this entity spoke to me. He displayed a smug air of etiquette in his whispering soft voice, his polite mannerisms oozing with intelligence. And he performed his duties well. Mere hours later, I felt the air around me become warmer. Feeling that my new creation needed a name, I chose to name this cloud entity Arabus. And much like Lavan, my people would come to label him with a most fitting title. The Whispering Fog.

The world greatly benefited from the two elemental entities. The world developed its own unique climates depending on the location. Arabus soon reported to me that at the extreme north and south locations on the planet, the air still remained freezing cold while those closer to the equator gathered the most heat. Crops grew in greater abundance and speed as my people truly began to thrive in the shadows. But after some time, a total of three particular entities made their presence known. Each of them being some of the most powerful individuals I have ever come across.

The first two eventually sought me out together. They were clearly ponies, although their bodies exhibited truly dazzling attributes that were not present in the other three races. Standing at roughly half my height, their bodies were sleek and elegant while seemingly possessing traits of both unicorns and pegasi. Large majestic wings were folded at their sides while very long and pointed horns jutted from their foreheads. But even more peculiar were the five tiny horns set at the bases of the central horn. One, a stallion, had a coat as dark as the night sky and a flowing shimmering silver mane and tail. His calm inviting eyes of a sky blue hue gazed at me while he bowed as he introduced himself as Orbash, though his companion who he would identify as his wife showed a more rigid disposition as if she did not entirely trust me. Perhaps a wariness gained from spending many decades within the shadows. With a coat of a fiery yellow hue and with a mane and tail flickering as if composed of actual fire, she exuded a powerful if not frightful presence. She too possessed a total of six horns upon her head while her harsh yellow eyes gazed at me sternly while introducing herself as Sunflare. Their cutie marks were nearly identical, Orbash's displaying a circular orb engulfed in shades of silvery gray while Sunflare's showed a white circle surrounded by an edge of shining blue light. They swore allegiance to me as ambassadors of their people, the many ponies who roamed the world. As I could not be in more than one place at a time, my people had likely come to look towards these very powerful individuals for guidance. I accepted their offer and appointed them as my subordinates to aid me in governing the world.

The third entity who came to me was the living definition of pandemonium. With a long slender body made up of at least a dozen different creatures and holding a penchant for completely random actions that defied everything I had come to know, the entity introduced himself as Discord. What further intrigued me was that he seemed to detect the miasma within the pouch that hung from my neck, referring to it as his "other half". Regardless of what he meant by this, he showed no interest in being reunited with his other half and expressed relief that it had been thoroughly contained. I soon found myself laughing in his presence, the buffoon being quick witted and cunning while possessing extraordinary power that was only surpassed by my own. Even so, he was far from menacing and even proved himself as being friendly and accommodating. He soon became my advisor and even served as my court jester.

With the world finally at balance, my people were happy. Even so, Discord advised me to find a place to set my throne as the world's ruler. I pondered on this for some time before taking note of a cave I had discovered during my early travels. A cave within one of the most menacing mountain ranges I had ever stumbled across. A cave so massive that one could scarcely hear an echo while speaking. It was this particular mountain that would come to be called the Devil's Mountain.

At the far edge of the cavern where no light could reach, my people began to erect a mighty fortress. The cave walls around us provided ample amounts of stone. There was no way of knowing how many years passed before it was complete. But once the fortress stood, it was truly an imposing structure tucked away from the world. In a massive cavern miles across where the darkness almost felt alive, anyone who would dare become my enemy would struggle to reach me on my throne. To make clear that it served as my home and seat of power, I named my permanent dwelling Midnight Castle.

And thus my reign reached its zenith. But before long, my attention was drawn to the sack that contained the miasma. It frequently whispered to me while I rested upon my throne, my only immediate company being Discord. Even he seemed to show no signs of hearing the distorted whispers of the evils within the miasma's prison. Of course, I knew better than to release it and send the world right back to the dark ages from whence it began. It would never escape me. But even so... So long as it remained bound to me, what else could I use it for?

At one occasion, I noticed a lonely bat hanging from the high ceiling of my throne room. Discord was helping himself to a spot of tea at the time, thus not noticing the intruder. Hearing the miasma speak to me once more, I decided to humor its wordless beckoning and tugged at the pouch's string to release it. The miasma burst forth and rushed for the hapless bat as it let out a screech while trying to fly away, wisely identifying the incoming swirling mass of dark colors as a threat. It did not get far.

The bat screeched in struggle as my court jester turned away from his drink to behold the miasma at work. The bat's screeches became increasingly distorted and twisted before I called the swirling mass of evil back into its prison. Discord could only look on in abject horror as the bat hovered in the air, a corrupted beastly shell of its former self. Not at all unlike the demons that walked the world before the miasma was corralled and contained. It did not flee or attempt to attack us. It knew that I was its master. When Discord inquired as to what I had just done, I insisted that it was merely an act of boredom. I do not believe Discord ever completely trusted me again after that.

While I gazed at this demonic little pet that hovered before me, I felt a sense of excitement come over me while stroking the pouch that hung from my neck. The miasma pulsed within, begging for release. With it, I had breathed life into the earth and sky themselves and could even corrupt creatures back into the beastly forms they were at the world's beginning. The evils that corrupted the world were now mine to control, a mere tool and pet to play with. I had drawn the world out of oblivion and brought it to life. I was not merely the Lord of Midnight. I was no mere king.

I was a god. And this world and everything in it was mine to do with as I pleased.


	3. Corruption

The world began to truly thrive under the influence of Arabus and Lavan as they sustained the world's ecosystem with their combined efforts. Word reached me within the depths of the Devil's Mountain that the quality of life had increased to new heights for my people, even if the world of darkness still left a constant grim atmosphere over them. There was little that could be done about the perpetual midnight.

In time, rumors began to swirl through the settlements and even through the ranks of my subordinates. Rumors of my destiny. It seemed that even among Sunflare and Orbash, speculations of the future circulated between my people. They felt that this time of eternal midnight was merely a temporary phase and that in time, I would guide the world out of the shadows and into an era of light.

Fools, all of them. Destiny is merely a term developed by the misguided and naive to instill hope and motivation in my people. A word without substance. To conform to one's destiny is to surrender your free will. There is no such thing as destiny as I have proven. There would be no end to the eternal midnight. My powers of darkness stem from it. I feel at ease in it. Empowered. The eternal night had become a symbol of my reign. And as my reign was absolute, so too would the Era Before Time Began to Flow continue. The world has proven itself capable of surviving with minimal light. There was no need to bring more into the world.

Even as my reign continued, progress continued to be made among my subjects. The earth ponies had begun to cultivate new breeds of crops to feed my people with. The pegasi had begun to grasp how to manipulate the weather to minimize and encourage rainfall as needed. And the unicorns had begun to experiment with their latent magical abilities. Pioneers in magic developed new spells with every passing year. I barely heard of the humans, however. Whatever they did mattered little to me. It was simply surprising that they continued to thrive along with the rest of the world.

While my people made progress in their own endeavors, I too became more adept in the manipulations of the miasma. It became like an extension of my will, responding to the dark magic within me. Anything that I exposed it to became a twisted corrupted shell of its former self that only increased the number of savage pets at my disposal. Discord remained as my court jester and reliably managed to illicit a chuckle from me, but I could see it in his eyes. Fear and disdain with every new creature I added to my collection. It was exciting to see the miasma engulf its prey as it struggled only to retreat back into its prison while leaving its prey a remnant of what this world used to be. Each and every one of them became loyal to me, responding to my orders without hesitation. So long as the source of their corruption was under my control, they belonged to me.

Word of the miasma's corrupting and twisting properties eventually spread throughout the world. The few of my subjects who actually witnessed it in use even came to refer to it as a "Rainbow of Darkness", apparently finding the subtle shifting colors in it reminiscent of the phenomenon that occurs when steam rises before a bright flame. A strangely fitting nickname for my pet, although it would always be the miasma in my mind. Rumors once more circulated across the world. Some suspected that it was a living demon I had captured in the distant past. Some claimed it is my very soul contained within the pouch I wear. Apparently some children even believed that it is my own stomach and that whatever emerges from it was what I consumed for a meal earlier. A foolhardy guess as I have never felt myself crave food for sustenance. But even more curiously, some have voiced suspicions that the miasma is an empowering cure-all, an entity that empowers that which it is exposed to. And to their credit, that rumor was not entirely untrue.

One such subject of mine eventually ventured deep into my haven and into Midnight Castle requesting an audience with me. When my guards escorted him down the hall until he stood before me, I was perplexed as to who this person was. A lowly goat with a blue pelt and thick curved horns that pointed forward. Discord promptly offered the lowly peon a can to munch on, though such a notion baffled the two of us. I commanded that he state his business. The goat claimed that his name was Grogar and that he had been drawn to me due to rumors regarding the miasma's properties. When asked what he desired, he claimed that he wished to become more proficient with magic. Capable enough to outdo even the most capable of unicorn mages.

Such a claim was absurd as goats have never been capable of using magic at all. And yet, he demonstrated what he learned. With a barely noticeable colorless aura surrounding his two horns, he struggled to levitate a mere pebble by his hooves. He claimed that envy had driven him to push himself to be able to perform magic. Envy of both the unicorns and even the humans. And I could sense it within him. A spiteful envy. With such ambition, he would truly be useful. And I was certain I could use my magic to influence exactly how and in what way the miasma would affect him.

I agreed to grant the lowly goat his wish much to his delight. I ordered him to remain still as I unleashed the miasma from its prison. He understandably panicked as it descended upon him. But as it did, I exerted the dark magic forces within my hand. The miasma engulfed the shrieking goat for only a moment before I called it back into its prison. He looked at himself, inquiring as to what had changed. I could certainly see a difference. His horns were no longer smooth and round, having become more crooked as they curved. His eyes now carried a red glow as they now consisted of equally red hues. But those were the only differences in him as I instructed him to try using his magic once more. And he did. Effortlessly. The pebble by his hooves flew across the room as he laughed in delight while the aura that engulfed his horns had become a dark purple, unmindful of the miasma's corruption having been planted within. With his envy driving him on, he would be of great use to me. He left with a smile, bowing and thanking me for my gift. Discord seemed surprised that I did not turn him into another one of my many pets, but I reassured him that he would return the favor someday. Grogar would return.

Word of Grogar's endeavors soon reached me as the goat perfected spell after spell in such a short time lapse. His magic strength now surpassed even the most capable of unicorns, although it still only held a candle to the unparalleled magical might of Sunflare and Orbash. However, as the decades rolled by, the miasma's corrupting influence slowly ate away at him. While his envy remained, he became increasingly prideful. Arrogant in his abilities. He mastered more spells than anyone else I had even come to know, even the two alicorns of the world. His form began to alter as well while he aged, his teeth slowly becoming fangs. Many of my people even began to fear the old goat as he began to live much longer than he ever should have, the miasma having granted him unnaturally long life. And on a rare outing from Midnight Castle, he invited me to bear witness to the results of my gift to him.

I followed my devout follower to a vast darkened meadow as his horns were engulfed by his dark purple magic aura. And when he turned to face me, I noticed something hanging from his neck. A crystal bell that slowly swayed as he cast his spell. An artifact of his own creation. When asked as to what it was for as it chimed unnaturally deeply, his response was that its chime summons them. And I soon saw what they were. The ground ruptured around us as foul demons of bone and rotting flesh clawed their way out of the earth. Too many shapes to count as they rose around us. I was prepared to obliterate them as their blank glowing red eyes stared at us, but I was also quick to notice a thick musty stench in the air. The stench of the long deceased. These were not demons of any sort. They were corpses. And Grogar laughed as they stood around us. He declared his mastery over his most favored form of magic. Necromancy.

He had become a shepherd to the fallen. His undead minions reacted to his will as if puppets hanging from strings. A smirk formed upon my lips. Indeed, Grogar had become far more than what he once was. Twisted and prideful, a master of dark arts. And so I extended my hand to him, offering him a place at my side. With his vast wisdom and intelligence, he would serve as my immediate subordinate. An offer he all too readily accepted. Thus, Grogar became my first enforcer. Fear of him spread throughout the world as my subjects granted him a most fitting title. The Shepherd of the Dead.

During these long years, I pondered further uses for Lavan and Arabus. The Burning Mountain proved to be too unintelligent and slothful to be expected to act on his own, but word soon reached me of Arabus having developed a peculiar...appetite. Despite being little more than a cloud demon, I heard rumors of my subject's shadows no longer appearing in the glow of flames once Arabus had passed by. Those whose shadows had disappeared became sickly and weak and would remain so for weeks before new shadows would finally appear around them. It seemed that Arabus had become quite the glutton as he devoured any shadow he desired, but only from the common folk. He dared not target the shadows of my most powerful subordinates.

Once more, word involving the miasma's twisting properties reached the ears of one who desired its effects. But when this subject of mine was brought before me, I was left puzzled as it was an entity that I had never witnessed before in my life. A small gray creature that seemed to be a bizarre fusion of both pony and insect that seemed to possess traces of both unicorn and pegasi ponies. I demanded that it explain what it was as it stood before me only to hear it speak with the voice of a young woman. She hailed from a nameless race of creatures reviled by my people for their ghastly appearance in the shadows. Creatures with a most strange source of sustenance. While able to sustain themselves on food and water like most other creatures, she claimed the greatest source of strength for her kind was what she sought most. Love. A truly difficult thing to acquire for something as hideous as her. And with such a thing being vital to their survival, it was no small wonder she would seek me out.

The unsightly creature identified herself as Chrysalis and the queen of her kind, though while still swearing fealty to my authority. She pleaded with me to help her attain the beauty needed to no longer be reviled and accepted by a stallion who would love her and to grant her a means to allow her people to be loved and accepted by others. Her words of desiring love made me want to spit, but I still felt that a creature like her could still provide me use. I agreed to her pleas and would grant her the beauty befitting of a true queen. And so I unleashed the miasma from its shackles once more as Discord watched in silence by my side.

Much like all before her, Chrysalis panicked and screamed as the miasma engulfed her. I weaved my magic to insure that my pet would not consume her entirely and would only twist her the way she desired. Once I called my pet back into its leathery cage, I was greeted by a most...titillating sight. The tiny creature was no longer so tiny and far from unsightly. She now stood tall as Sunflare herself with a long crooked horn upon her head and thin fluttering teal wings at her sides. Her nearly blank blue eyes had become large and expressive eyes akin to a pony and her barely existent mane had become long and flowing, granting her a truly womanly appearance. While some of the unsightly features of her previous form remained, she exuded a type of bewitching beauty, as did her noticeably distorted voice. An unexpected side-effect of being exposed to the miasma. Even so, she was quite satisfied with her new form and looked herself over constantly. Discord even made a brief attempt to woo her, though I quickly put a stop to that.

Before she could depart, I made clear to her that I had bestowed upon her a gift for her to share with her people. I asked her to imagine a mare of great beauty and will herself to share that appearance. And she did. Chrysalis was engulfed in green fire before the flames receded to reveal none other than Sunflare herself. Even her eyes and voice perfectly matched the mare of eternal fire. Ecstatic over such a gift, the queen was engulfed in green fire once more to reveal her new natural form before she left in a hurry to share my gift with her people. But I knew she would return to me in time. Like Grogar before, the seeds of the miasma's corruption had been planted.

Word reached me that Chrysalis had indeed shared her new shape-shifting abilities with her people upon returning to them, though I knew the miasma's corruption would remain with her and her alone. Her people gained the ability to mimic anyone they desired, though they lacked the ability to mimic bipedal creatures like minotaurs and humans. However, Chrysalis possessed this ability and used it to great effect. These shape shifters, which would come to be called "Changelings", would come out of the shadows and mingle with the rest of my subjects in the guise of whatever they chose to appear as. They never meant any harm, though I doubt my people would understand that if they saw what lied just under the surface.

Of course, the corruption planted within her slowly began to take hold as time went by. Chrysalis soon found that the more love she absorbed only bolstered her magic further with greater power. And in time, she began to supplant her desire for love with a powerful greed for the power that came with devouring more love. Furthermore, I found that with that greed came a powerful lust. Throughout the remaining time of my reign, she seduced countless men of varying races. Using only her body, she fed on the primal love and attraction they felt towards her. These hapless lovers sired her many broods as she increased the size of her hive, although the miasma's corruption that infested her was never passed on to her offspring. In time, she did return to me as yet another enforcer, although her allegiance was not nearly as absolute as with my other followers. It seemed that her primary concern was always her people, but I still got a fair amount of use out of my Changeling Queen. She never once tried to woo me with her wiles. There was never any room for love in my heart.

It seemed that my enforcers had done things outside of my court to cause my people to view the miasma as a source of corruption instead of power. That original rumor soon died out as my people began to fear me. Although in time, a group of ponies residing in caves finally came to me to ask the one request I would never grant. To bring about the coming of light to end the eternal midnight. And I merely replied that perhaps the reason they feared the night was because they were not as suited for the night as they were then. A problem I immediately rectified much to Discord's horror.

With a pull of the string of the pouch that hung from my neck, I released the miasma onto the pilgrims who had sought me out. But only half of them. They screamed and attempted to flee only for the miasma to descend upon them. I did nothing to alter its influence as their screams and calls became distorted growls and roars while their companions could only watch in fright. When the miasma returned to me, I recognized its victims immediately. They had once more become the mindless dark beasts that once roamed this world. The children of the remaining half of the group cried and called out for their mothers, fathers, and siblings, but they were now mine. I offered them a place beside my new pets, but they refused in tears and fled. Word quickly reached my subjects and the world descended into a constant state of fear. Discord could only turn away from the pack of dark beasts that gathered before my throne. My reign had become absolute.

Fortunately for me, Arabus proved himself to be an excellent scout. He brought word to me that talk of rebellion had begun to spread. Some of my people seemed to have grown weary of my despotic reign. Choosing to nip this potential nuisance in the bud, I sent a command to Lavan. I used my magic to watch from my throne as The Burning Mountain descended into the world's mantle, leaving only a lake of lava in his wake. I then watched the settlement where the source of Arabus' report had come from. And then, Lavan burst forth from just under the settlement and rose into the night sky as he let out a roar that echoed for miles. Once he departed through the lake of lava, nothing remained of the settlement and its inhabitants. I felt a grin of satisfaction spread over my lips, although I noticed that Discord had excused himself from my presence moments before Lavan could carry out his orders.

My subjects did not once consider rising against me again. My suspicions of my people attempting to overthrow me quickly faded as they cowered in the night, not daring to raise their hooves against the Lord of Midnight. Even if they would, my power alone would never be matched.

Little did I know that I had made my first mistake. Through my actions, I had planted the seeds of my downfall. My time on the throne was coming to an end.


	4. Harmony

Fear had taken hold of the world. With my reign having been thoroughly established and with their lives being at stake should they defy me, I felt all the more like a god. My people dare not stand against me so long as my enforcers remained active. Even so, I felt that there was always the possibility that the occasional corruption of my subjects would only increase the resentment the rest felt towards me. But after the use of Lavan's unparalleled might to erase a defiant settlement off the map, I knew the puny creatures of the world would not dare rise against me. Even so, I ordered Arabus to remain ever watchful for signs of further rebellion. Those who would dare usurp me from my throne would be reduced to ashes.

Fewer and fewer of my subjects began to seek me out for any reason whatsoever. Even my guards and attendants stationed within Midnight Castle became quick to desert me. Not that it mattered. My guards paled in comparison to the endless might I possess as well as my ever growing collection of pets. Only Discord and my many pets remained by my side, though the former was constantly wary of me. However, when I found that Orbash and Sunflare had ceased to maintain contact with me, I grew suspicious of their intentions. They were aware of Arabus serving as my eyes and ears throughout the world. But even then, if they did succeed in rallying the people against me, the miasma would overwhelm them much as it engulfed the entire planet eons ago. Any and all attempts to rise against me were doomed to fail. And they knew it.

One fateful day, word reached me from Arabus. He appeared before me to reveal to me that it seemed suspicious activity had been brooding over a vast field surrounded by mountains miles wide constantly engulfed in howling gale winds being maintained by the pegasi. The winds prevented my minion from getting anywhere near to discern exactly what this sort of activity could be. Knowing that such a barrier would not keep Lavan out, I decided to make an example of the dissenters and sent The Burning Mountain to destroy them from below. But hours later, I found that I could no longer reach my powerful weapon of molten earth. Much to my shock, Arabus returned to me to reveal that Lavan had been contained! Rendered harmless deep below the world's crust by powerful restraining magic! The pegasi had woven a barrier of great wind to keep Arabus out as they laid a trap! Wrath filled my senses. My people had found a way to oppose me!

I roared at Arabus to send for Grogar and Chrysalis. They were to find the traitors and destroy them. This time, I watched from my throne to discern exactly what my subjects had done. To my frustration, Chrysalis never appeared. Only Arabus and Grogar remained. In time, they were drawn away from each other and, much to my rage, overwhelmed and contained by droves of traitors. And leading each side were the two ponies that I dreaded seeing turn against me most. Orbash and Sunflare. Chrysalis was the only one to escape capture and she would continue to remain elusive for millennia to come as all knowledge of her connections to me would fade.

Discord inquired as to what had happened and I responded with a roar. With such effective counters to my mightiest enforcers, there had to have been a traitor in my midst. An insider must have collaborated with my subjects to know how to most effectively ambush and subdue my enforcers. But Discord merely smiled and laughed at me before he suddenly burst into bits of candy. All that remained of him was rubbery pieces of his body as if he had been a balloon.

It then dawned on me. I was next.

Now all but alone, cornered within the depths of the Devil's Mountain, I rushed out of my castle with the intention of slaughtering all who dared make a fool of me. My many demonic pets followed after me in droves like a sea of shadows. I did not even reach halfway across the cavern before I found them. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of humans and ponies. Coated in shimmering metal armor and wielding many weapons of sizes and shapes, the most pitiful race of them all stood at the vanguard ready to engage me in combat.

I demanded that they explain themselves and I was promptly answered as three figures stepped forward. Orbash, Sunflare, and even the true Discord. The one who had been by my throne for so long had been nothing more than a decoy. He revealed himself to have been mingling with my people right under my nose while even Arabus was unaware of his presence outside Midnight Castle. I demanded the reasons behind even my own jester turning against me. His reasons were brief and to the point. He claimed that the world under my rule had no joy in it. No sorrow. No anger. Not even chaos. Only fear. And he could not bear to see it go on any longer.

My blood began to boil as the army before me roused my wrath. I had held onto my control over the world from the moment I had brought it to life. I would not be surrendering my throne now! I soon cackled as I remembered exactly who many of my pets were. They all stood before me, ready to tear into the enemy army. I reminded my subjects that they would have to slaughter my pets first. But as my army of demons charged at the treasonous army, I saw something at the far end of the droves of metal armor. A bright glowing light of many colors.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The glowing light of many colors was not at all like the light that comes from a flame. It felt...ethereal. Beyond anything I had ever witnessed. And then, it burst forth from that spot. A towering rainbow radiating light rose high over the army before descending down and engulfing my many pets. The exposure was brief before the rainbow vanished. But once it faded, I stood transfixed at what had become of them. Every last one of them, beast and pony alike, had been purged of the miasma's influence! They all looked at themselves and each other as if they could scarcely remember being under its effects. The army called for them to hurry forward and past them, and my purified subjects did just that. The beasts merely scattered in confusion into the shadows.

Robbed of the few loyalists I still had, I demanded that they explain where such holy power could even come from. The army began to form a path as the many armored fools stepped aside. At the far end of the path, I saw them. Six mares, two of each race of pony. And each clad in golden necklaces while one of the unicorns wore an intricate gold tiara atop her head. They all stared defiantly at me as a glowing gem of bright color was set into each of their elegant attire. One of the earth ponies, a mare with an orange coat and blond mane with a blue bow tied around the base of her tail, bore an orange and green gem that bore the appearance of an apple. The other earth pony, a timid mare with long flowing pink mane and tail and a pale gold coat, wore a golden necklace that displayed a pink flower that was likely a tulip. One of the pegasi, a pink mare with blue tail and mane, bore a red gem carved into a lightning bolt. The other pegasus, a white mare with bright yellow mane and tail, wore a blue gem in the form of a balloon. The only unicorn wearing a necklace possessed a very pale blue coat with a curled mane and tail of indigo and magenta hues while her respective gem displayed a purple diamond. The unicorn who wore the tiara was clad in a light pink coat with a light gray mane and tail that displayed a purple stripe down the middles. The gem that was set atop her tiara was a simple five-armed star of a darker purple hue than the gem in the form of a flower. Each gem glowed brightly in the darkness. And as I beheld these mysterious gems, I felt myself quiver. I could sense it... A frightful purifying presence within each of them that felt entirely alien to me.

I felt fear for the first time.

I was not the only to feel a natural sense of hostility towards this purifying forces. The miasma quivered within its prison. It too could sense the holy presence before it. It was the exact opposite of the miasma. Its natural enemy. I demanded that Orbash and Sunflare explain what these abominations were. The patriarch of the pony races explained in great detail how the holy gems came to be. The physical embodiments of six prominent virtues that could stand against all adversary in any situation. Virtues that play off of and empower the others to form a perfect unison, which the six bearers seemed to posses with each other. It was then that I learned the namesake of these purifying tools. The Elements of Harmony.

In a rage, I unleashed the miasma upon the army before me. I knew that even without my pets, they would still never be able to resist the miasma's corrupting properties. But as I did, I looked on in shock as the Elements of Harmony began to shine brighter before yet another swirling column of rainbow colors rose up from their bearers. The miasma detected its enemy and rushed towards the incoming rainbow of light instead of its prey. They collided and clashed briefly before both sides were forced back. The rainbow of light faded while the miasma returned to its prison, subdued. It was then that I understood the function of the Elements of Harmony. They had been crafted not as a weapon, but as a means to counter the unstoppable miasma and reverse its effects on those it had corrupted. But at the same time, the miasma had forced them to become inert as well. They were a perfect counter for the other. A stalemate. So long as I possessed the miasma, I had nothing to fear from the Elements.

Even so, I was left frustrated as my greatest weapon was left useless. The army began to prepare for battle as the six bearers and the three ringleaders of the rebellion retreated to the back along with the ponies while the humans took the front lines. The humans were clearly the boldest of the races in spite of their weaknesses. A foolish race with no sense of survival instinct. While the miasma was rendered useless, I still possessed all of the power I had always carried within myself. Already clad in my armored cuirass, I conjured forth the shadows and compacted the darkness into a form of maximum density. A colossal lance formed and was grasped in my hand. The Midnight Lance. If they thought that I was a king that relied solely on his guards for protection, they were in for a rude awakening.

Like a swarm of ants, the armored humans charged. But of course, ants are merely tiny insects. And to me, so too were these mere mortals. With a wave of my hand, I unleashed an explosive burst of dark magic. Sprays of blood filled the air as the clatter of ruined armor and weapons filled the air along with the howl of dying screams. And yet, the swarm pressed on. Arrows flew through the air and dug into my flesh as bolts of magic from Orbash, Sunflare, and unicorn mages exploded into me. Fleeting wounds closed in mere seconds. The pain meant little to me. I swung my lance and smashed rows of warriors with its sheer size and weight alone while skewering many upon its shaft before flinging them off, leaving the Midnight Lance's jet black shaft stained crimson. The few who managed to reach me plunged their weapons into me. Still, any wounds I suffered were quick to heal as I slaughtered the opposition.

I lost track of time as the swarm threw themselves at me. I obliterated them by the hundreds. By the thousands! And yet, they just kept coming! Not one pony ever came close enough for me to strike them down. Only the humans dared come near me. How much time even passed before I began to feel the fatigue of battle finally setting in? As time dragged on and I suffered more and more from the enemies' weapons, I felt it. My wounds had begun to close more slowly. My body and mind were becoming fatigued. I knew I had no reason to fear death as I have always been simply beyond it, but I was beginning to grasp the reality of the situation. Defeat was becoming increasingly likely. Even though I could not die, I could still be left potentially exhausted to the point of being unable to resist my captors. And the enemy was showing no signs of stopping. Especially as Orbash and Sunflare bombarded me with bolts of white lightning and blasts of unnaturally hot and bright fire that felt as potent as the real thing.

I had to take into consideration my plight. They would never be able to end my life, but they would still be able to capture. Seal me away much like they did with Lavan. And I would not have that. There had to be something I could do to insure that something would aid me in my eventual escape. And as I scanned the dark horizon from high above the enemy, I caught glimpses of them. Two alicorn ponies that were no longer fillies, but had not yet quite become mares. The children of Orbash and Sunflare who had been born quite some time ago. They too likely possessed great power like their parents, though clearly not of the same magnitude.

I eyed them after repelling another wave of traitors before setting my sights on the younger of the two. Yes... She would do nicely. I unleashed an orb of my magic containing a very specific spell mixed with traces of the miasma across the vast cavern. They did not anticipate the spell as the child shrieked while the orb burst in a flash of dark magic. Her mother rushed to her side, but it seemed that the spell had misfired. Or so it seemed. The spell was not meant to cause harm. The sleeper had been set and would only spring when the proper requirements had been met. Should this gamble pay off, she would be of great use to me should I fall. The younger siblings are more likely to find themselves in the shadow of the elder, after all.

And in time as a sea of blood lapped around my hooves while a sickly sweet scent filled the air, I felt it. My body was reaching its limits. The dwindling human warriors stood their ground as I staggered, the Midnight Lance falling from my grasp with a clank and splash. I dropped to a knee, my vision blurring with sheer exhaustion. My wounds simply refused to close as my own blood spilled. I attempted to prepare another spell to annihilate more of my enemies, but my focus faltered. With my endurance having finally been whittled away, I collapsed into the sea of blood as mountains of armored corpses surrounded me. The last thing I recall seeing as slumber began to take hold of me was the forms of Orbash and Sunflare drawing near with Discord at their sides.

When I finally awoke, I still ached from my wounds. My arms and legs were shackled while a restrictive magic field prevented me from exerting my magical will. The miasma's prison had been removed from me and was nowhere to be seen, but I knew it was still nearby. I could sense it. And there was no possible means to destroy it. A council surrounded me as I found myself in a stone cave I did not recognize. At its head were Discord, Sunflare, and Orbash. They revealed to me that Arabus and Grogar had already been sealed away in a stone prison complex that had been specifically prepared for us. And I would not be joining them.

Rightfully fearful of my might should I be allowed to recover, my enemies sought to destroy me in any way they could. They attempt to behead me. Drown me. Poison me. Even submerge me within the molten blood of the earth itself. And every attempt failed as the darkness of the world sustained me even as my wounds were slow to heal. When it became clear that I was beyond death's icy grip, they instead agreed to seal me away with my most trusted enforcers. And so, I was sent to the stone prison cavern that come to be known as Tartarus.

I could already feel the presence of Grogar and Arabus close by. Placed in stasis so that they would never awaken from within stone chambers sealed forever. And I too joined them. In a stone chamber, my limbed were shackled to the floor and walls as my magic was still restricted. The three new illegitimate leaders of my subjects bid me one final resentful glare as a stone wall slid over the entrance, sealing me away from the world forever.

Millennia has passed, and all I have been able to do is watch, listen, and wait. I watched as the false king and queen used their vast magical might to create the celestial bodies known as the sun and moon to bring night and day to the world as well as the passage of time. My subjects have done much to make certain that all knowledge regarding me and my reign has been forgotten. My name and even the title "Lord of Midnight" has faded from the world's memory. But even so, I know that I will not remain here forever. With every passing night, the darkness of the night seeps into this chamber. And with every passing night, I feel slivers of my strength returning.

It seems that the child I chose to serve me, the one named Luna, has yet to fully reach the point where my sleeper spell will activate. But she is starting to show promising signs. She is growing steadily resentful of her sister as my subjects have developed an innate fear of the darkness due to eons of living under my eternal midnight as she has become a "Princess of the Night" and has been given the duty of bringing it forth every day. It seems I chose wisely. And her dear parents and sister would not dare bring harm to her, even if she became their enemy.

Even should she fail to serve me, it is only a matter of time. I rise ever closer to my full power with every passing night. Power that even my restraints will not be able to contain. And when it does, my reign will continue once more. The miasma is close by, sealed away as well. And with it, this world will never escape my grasp again.

I have all the time in the world to wait. And I am a very patient god. The time of my return will come when the Lord of Midnight leaves Tartarus to reclaim this world of Equestria once more.

It will happen. It is inevitable.


End file.
